Putin: We never wanted confrontation, but sought to resolve the situation peacefully, and the West rejected a peaceful solution in Donbass

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was confident that the situation with Ukraine could be resolved peacefully and never sought confrontation, but Western partners rejected a peaceful solution in Donbass.

“We start from the assumption that we would be able to resolve (the situation) by absolutely peaceful means, we never seek any kind of confrontation,” President Putin added in an interview with the “Russia 1” television channel for the Moscow program.

Putin emphasized that Russia in 2014 could not refuse to support, help and protect the Crimean population from the oppression of the Nazis.

He continued: “Everything that happened in Crimea is clear to everyone! We simply could not deny our support and protection to the people of Crimea… precisely because they were already oppressed there, by the Nazis as they were called.” . themselves in Ukraine”.

Putin, in response to a question about whether it was worth starting a special operation in 2014, noted that the decision to launch a Russian military operation in Ukraine does not have a subjunctive formula: “You know, in such cases there is no subjunctive mood. , this is first Second This also applies to our preparation for some more serious measures within the framework of the so-called Crimean Spring.

Putin noted that Russia’s partners, the West did not intend to resolve the Donbass issue peacefully.

“As for the Donbass, we were counting on the fact that we would be able to solve this problem peacefully! But it turns out that now… none of our so-called partners was going to solve anything by peaceful means, but to inject Ukraine with weapons and prepare it for military operations”.

On the other hand, President Putin stressed that Russia’s financial system, despite the restrictions imposed by hostile countries, “has not collapsed.”

And he added: “During the previous years we have done a lot in the matter of import substitution, in critical areas of the life of the country… we have strengthened our financial system!… despite the expectations of the enemy, nothing has been done here. it has collapsed, everything is working, the Mir card is working, the financial system is working, the banks are increasing their capacities.

He continued: “In 2014 we didn’t have hypersonic weapons, but we have them now. Yeah, we don’t actually use them, but they exist. There are other modern systems, but in 2014 there was none of that.”